<p>My financial aid budgeted around $3,500 for living expenses...is the cost of living at Harvard for a year really that much? I'm trying to minimize my loans, so I'd like to know if I can get by spending less...</p>
<p>I’m not sure what you consider living expenses. My son spends only a small amount for movies and dining out (and not often).</p>
<p>I’m not sure what the financial aid package meant by that, either…no other schools included “living expenses,” so that made the sticker shock a little bigger</p>
<p>It’s probably best if you call the fin. aid office on Monday. They are very very helpful and will explain every penny.</p>
<p>Personal Expenses in your financial aid award include things like your books (which can be as much or more than $1000 per year), and then things like change for laundry, hygiene supplies, eating out, stuff you want to buy for your dorm room, movies, other entertainment, etc. It’s all, except for the books (and hopefully but not necessarily laundry), discretionary spending. But it does add up quickly if you’re not careful. If you set a budget for a week of $50 (for example), multiply it by about 36 weeks, that’s $1800. Add in the books, and that’s $2800. But what your weekly budget is really depends on you.</p>